The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector assembly and, more particularly, to an improved latching arrangement for an electrical connector assembly.
It is common practice in the electrical connector art to provide on all plastic connectors integral latching arrangements which will allow positive locking together of the mating plug and receptacle connectors thereby assuring that electrical continuity is maintained under varying conditions of vibration and separating forces which would otherwise result in the loss of electrical continuity. Typically, the latching arrangement includes integral, molded-in levers that are pivotable about legs that extend laterally outwardly from the opposite sides of the housing of one of the connector halves, and embody latch shoulders which are engageable with catches on the outside of the mating connector half when the two halves are interengaged. While such latching arrangements are generally satisfactory, they have the disadvantage that because they extend outwardly from the opposite sides of the housing of the connector, the connector has a relatively high profile which may be objectionable if space is at a premium in the environment in which the connector is intended to be utilized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,244 discloses a latching arrangement for an electrical connector assembly in which latch arms are formed by cutting slots in the upper and lower walls of the connector housing. The latch arms are pivotally mounted on the housing by integral live hinge pivots that extend laterally from the sides of the arms so that the arms are pivotable about transverse axes passing laterally through the upper and lower walls of the housing. While such an arrangement provides a low profile connector, the catches on the mating connector are formed on the outer wall of the connector housing, which is undesirable for some applications in which the mating connector must be mounted in an apparatus such that the exterior of the connector is inaccessible for receiving the latch arms from the first connector. Further, the latch arms operate independently of each other, rather than simultaneously with a single actuating motion of the user in one direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,998 discloses a latching arrangement for an electrical connector assembly in which latch arms are formed on the upper wall of the plug connector, while a hood is provided on the mating receptacle connector in which there are formed catches that are engaged by the latch arms. While the catches are formed on the interior of the receptacle housing, because they are formed on a hood forming part of the housing, and the latch arms of the plug are pivotable above the upper wall of the plug housing, the overall connector assembly has a relatively high profile, which is not desirable for some applications.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved latching arrangement for an electrical connector which has a low profile, the receptacle connector can be mounted in an environment where the exterior of the connector housing is inaccessible, and a single activating beam is associated with a pair of latch arms which allows the arms to be unlatched simultaneously with a single motion by the user from one side of the connector body, rather than activation from opposite sides as in most prior art latching arrangements for electrical connectors.